December 14-May 12, 2020 | Living Legends II: with a Special Tribute to Bob Kuhn | Jackson, WY

Masterful Celebration

ational Museum of Wildlife Art’s second Living Legends exhibition pays tribute to Bob Kuhn for the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Since opening in 1987, the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has recognized living artists in its collection alongside the works of past masters. Last year the museum mounted its first Living Legends exhibition featuring pieces by some of today’s artists that are in its permanent collection. The show has since evolved into a series of installations with its next edition running December 14 through May 12.Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), Closing the Distance, acrylic on Masonite, 24 x 48”. On loan from Joffa and Bill Kerr, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Estate of Robert F. Kuhn.

“The idea for Living Legends arose after our last major reinstallation of the galleries. We wanted to honor the contributions of living artists who have contributed so much to the Museum,” says Adam Duncan Harris, Ph.D, the museum’s Joffa Kerr Chief Curator of Art. “Some artists have been working with us since the founding of the Museum in 1987, some are more recent. By rotating the artwork and artists each year, we can show our visitors a wider selection of what we have than if we just put out a static display of works.”James Morgan, Abandoned Orchard, 2009, oil on canvas, 30 x 20”. JKM Collection, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © James Morgan.

Included in the exhibition is artwork from artists such a Robert Bateman, Ken Carlson, Sandy Scott, Kenn Bunn and Ron Kingswood, who represent just some of the styles and subjects that are found in the permanent collection. Among the works is Scott’s 1997 bronze Monarch of the Boreal and Kent Ullberg’s sea turtles sculpture Journey’s End from 1993. Paintings include James Morgan’s Abandoned Orchard; Kathryn Mapes Turner’s Three Matriarchs of does in a darkened forest; and Theodore Waddell’s Gallatin Buffalo in his signature contemporary style.

This year’s show, titled Living Legends II: with a Special Tribute to Bob Kuhn, is also dedicated to honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of wildlife master Bob Kuhn.Kathryn Mapes Turner, Three Matriarchs, 2015, oil on canvas, 36 x 60”. National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Kathryn Mapes Turner.

“Bob Kuhn, who passed away in 2007, was a major force in the world of wildlife art. His work combines a keen sense of anatomy with a vibrant color sense and excellent ability to capture motion,” explains Harris of the artist who was also beloved by other artists because of his mentorship. “I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t hold him up as an exemplar in the field. Kuhn was born in 1920, so 2020 is the 100th anniversary of his birth.”Theodore Waddell, Gallatin Buffalo, oil on canvas, 54 x 60”. Gift of the 2014 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Theodore Waddell.

Kuhn will be represented in the exhibition by three pieces that were loaned to the museum over the past year and haven’t been exhibited in the museum before. “[T]hey are some of the finest examples of his oeuvre,” says Harris of the work that includes the panoramic Closing the Distance and the kudo painting Numero Uno. “Rather than rotating them through the galleries, we wanted to highlight these amazing pieces in a special section of Living Legends.” —

Living Legends II: with a Special Tribute to Bob Kuhn
December 14-May 12, 2020
National Museum of Wildlife Art
2820 Rungius Road, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-5771, www.wildlifeart.org